News
Thursday 6th March 2025.
March 5, 2025
The President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino , reacted on the morning of Wednesday, March 5, 2025, to the statements of the American president, Donald Trump , who last night said that the United States was recovering the Panama Canal .
“Once again, President Trump is lying. The Panama Canal is not in the process of being restored , and it is certainly not the task that was even discussed in our conversations with Secretary Rubio or anyone else,” Mulino responded on his X account.
The Panamanian president stated that he “rejects, on behalf of Panama and all Panamanians, this new affront to the truth and to our dignity as a nation.”
He stressed that cooperation between both nations is developed through understandings on issues of mutual interest and that they have no relation to the recovery of the Canal by the United States “nor with tarnishing our national sovereignty. The Canal is Panamanian and will continue to be Panamanian! ”
The recent agreement that will allow the US firm BlackRock to operate the ports of Balboa and Cristóbal, together with the port arm of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), has generated a wave of reactions in the political and economic spheres.
According to Jorge Luis Quijano, former administrator of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) , the transaction represents a significant change in the control structure over Panamanian ports.
Speaking to TVN, Quijano said the operation could be interpreted as a response to pressure from the United States, which for months has questioned alleged Chinese influence in the administration of the Canal.
The former administrator stressed that, despite Washington’s claims, China has not had control over the Panama Canal. “These threats have been going on for two months and have put Panama in a very difficult situation in the face of actions that were not correct,” he said. With the entry of BlackRock and MSC , Quijano believes that one of the premises that fueled US pressure has been dismantled, although he warns that the situation could evolve.
One of the most relevant points of this transaction is the presence of BlackRock and Vanguard, two of the largest investment firms in the world, together with MSC, a Swiss company with a strong global presence in the port industry. Quijano questioned how cargo handling in ports will be reconfigured, considering that MSC will now manage infrastructure that is also used by its competitor Maersk. “There has been no additional investment in capacity, but there has been a recomposition in the distribution of cargo,” he said.
The political impact of this operation was made clear in a speech by former US President Donald Trump , who reaffirmed his intention for his country to regain control of the Panama Canal. “The canal was built by Americans, for Americans, not for others,” he declared, while justifying the acquisition of the ports as a step in that direction. His words have generated concern in Panama, where some analysts believe that they could be interpreted as a threat to the country’s sovereignty.
Given this situation, Quijano urged the Panamanian government to remain vigilant. “The country must follow up on the ongoing audit,” he warned, since irregularities could arise in the management of the ports under the previous concession (Panama Ports).
The Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic is currently conducting an audit on compliance with the concession contract between the Panamanian state and Panama Ports. In addition, a constitutional challenge was filed against the extension of the concession in the Supreme Court of Justice.
The acquisition, he added, not only transfers control of the assets, but also the responsibilities and obligations associated with existing contracts.
The purchase of these ports has been interpreted by some sectors as a commercial solution to a political crisis, but it also generates uncertainty about the future of the Panama Canal and its relationship with the United States. In the words of Quijano, “although the operation may reduce tension, Trump insisted that the process of recovering the Canal is not yet over.”
Finally, the former administrator emphasized that the Panama Canal remains Panamanian and that the Neutrality Treaty has been rigorously complied with. “There is no room for misinterpretation: this transaction is a commercial decision, not a change of control over the Canal,” he concluded.
However, he warned that the Panamanian government must remain alert to any attempt at external pressure that could affect the country’s sovereignty over this waterway that is essential for global trade.
US President Donald Trump was previously informed that the Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison , parent company of the company that operates the Panamanian ports of Balboa and Cristobal , in the Canal area, was negotiating an agreement in principle with the American fund manager BlackRock for the acquisition of 90% of its shares in those ports.
According to The New York Times , in recent days, BlackRock executives, including Chief Executive Laurence D. Fink and board member Adebayo Ogunlesi , briefed President Trump; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ; Secretary of State Marco Rubio ; and other officials on the deal. Two people involved in the negotiations said this, adding that the Trump administration had expressed support for the transaction.
This economic operation comes after months of warnings from Trump, who has insisted on the need to “regain” control of the Panama Canal due to alleged Chinese influence in the region.
According to the NYT, talks between the BlackRock-led consortium and executives at CK Hutchison, owned by the Li family, one of the richest in Asia, began a few weeks ago, according to a person familiar with the discussions.
According to the report, the Li family believed it was under political pressure to exit the port business, particularly its stakes in the Panama Canal, a source said.
This contrasts with statements by Frank Sixt, co-managing director of CK Hutchison, who said in a statement that the agreement was “purely commercial in nature and completely unrelated to recent political news regarding Panama’s ports.”
The report highlights that this is BlackRock’s largest infrastructure transaction to date. The company is carrying out the acquisition together with its partner Terminal Investment Limited, which operates ports that receive the world’s largest container shipping company, Mediterranean Shipping.
Following the announcement made on Tuesday, the Government of Panama reported, through a statement, that this is a global transaction between private companies, motivated by mutual interests, and clarified that compliance with all local laws and regulations will be monitored before the Panama Maritime Authority makes any decision on behalf of the Panamanian State.
The statement also recalled that Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of Hutchison Ports Holding, is being audited by the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic. The Government stressed the importance of this audit continuing until its conclusion, noting that the results will be a determining factor in defining the future relationship between the State and the concessionaire.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office , through the Primary Care Section of La Chorrera, in the province of Panama Oeste, is conducting an investigation into the alleged commission of the crime of rape against a patient at the Nicolás Solano Hospital.
The investigation has been classified as “delicate.” At the moment, the authorities have not revealed further details; they only indicate that the incident occurred on Tuesday, March 4, at this hospital, administered by the Ministry of Health (Minsa).
For its part, the Minsa has reported that it will initiate an administrative investigation against a doctor accused of alleged sexual abuse of a patient who went to the Nicolás A. Solano Hospital seeking medical attention. According to the Minsa, the accusation was filed by the patient after leaving the office where she was treated by the doctor.
The Ministry of Health reiterates to the population that it will not allow acts that violate the ethics of public servants and the oath of doctors. While the investigations are carried out by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, to which the Ministry of Health will provide all necessary support, the accused doctor will be suspended from his duties.
This news has caused consternation and indignation among patients and residents of the Chorrera community, who believe that a hospital is intended to cure their illnesses and not cause them harm.
Some 1,152 people were arrested during the security operation deployed throughout the country during the Carnival festivities. This was reported by the authorities on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 4, 2025.
The Minister of Public Security, Frank Ábrego, explained that among those arrested there were more than 80 people with precautionary measures, such as house arrest or provincial restrictions, who were caught arriving at recreational sites, many of them carrying sharp weapons. These people have already been placed at the orders of the corresponding authorities.
Ábrego also reported that 153,553 vehicles were moved to the interior of the country and that, as of Tuesday, 97,000 vehicles have already returned. In addition, he highlighted the completion of 483,000 citizen verifications and the inspection of 21,000 vehicles.
The minister indicated that the safe return operation for Carnival will continue this Wednesday.
For his part, Jaime Fernández, director general of the National Police, said that there were no deaths in the culecos areas or in recreational sites nationwide. However, he regretted the four fatalities resulting from traffic accidents.
Despite these incidents, Fernandez described the security operation deployed during the celebrations in the country as successful.
Panama received two awards on Tuesday, March 4, in the first Ibero-American Awards of the OEI for Cooperation for Development , as announced by the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI).
The awards were in the category of higher education, and the Quality Leadership University of Panama (QLU) was awarded ; while in the category of science, the award was given to the organization Ciencia en Panamá.
These OEI awards seek to promote and highlight the role of international cooperation in the region, recognizing the work and contribution of entities or individuals to development in areas such as education, science and culture.
In its first edition, the OEI Ibero-American Awards recognized 20 institutions and individuals from 13 countries for their outstanding careers in seven areas of international cooperation such as education and vocational training, higher education, science, culture, education and productivity, education in human rights and regional cooperation.
With the creation of these awards, the OEI reaffirms its commitment to cooperation at a time when its importance is being questioned in multiple areas at an international level and in a climate of “alarming democratic fatigue”, as its Secretary General, Mariano Jabonero, recently pointed out.
According to Jabonero, “far from being a one-off initiative, these awards are intended to last over time, as a highly valuable incentive to recognise the ongoing work of those who contribute to the development of our region.”